Jun 24 2009
How would I use blogs in the classroom?
I like the collaborative aspect of blogs, the way people can talk back and forth via comments, and I did use that last year with my 8th grade (see First Reflection, below). I’m trying to figure out how to set up blogs for my students in other ways, too. But since I need to read what they write before they publish it to the world (my administrators’ requirement), I need more structure than would be needed for older students (high school, college, adult).
Logistics
So I’m looking for a different platform. Edublogs permits mediation of comments (meaning I can read student comments to my blog before the comments are published) but setting up all the students took at lot more time and effort than I would like. I’m checking into Moodle, which I am learning about in another course (E-Learning for Educators). I want my students to be able to use collaboration tools like blogs and wikis, but without having to go through all the work setting up accounts for various platforms (and it is considerable, especially since many don’t have email) for what will probably be 100-120 students this coming year.
Actually using blogs
I want to continue to use the discussion blog I created last year, but use it all throughout the year. And I want to use it with both 7th and 8th graders next year. There are so many times that we want to talk more about a topic, but run out of time. Or I’d like to give students a chance to be more contemplative in their discussions.
Or I’d like students to use blogs as another platform for an existing project – two-way journals; pairs of students read the same book and journal back and forth about it. Wouldn’t a blog be a great vehicle for that discussion? And if there were 3 students reading the same book, the logistics of sharing their writing would be so much easier. Heck, the logistics between two would be easier – at least there would be fewer papers for students to lose (their second favorite activity after talking with their friends :>).
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Hi Fran, I’m glad to hear you have worked with blogs before since I am totally new to it and it is very useful for me to read your reflections on how you might use it. I really like the idea of using this as a way for students to interact/discuss a book.
I work with adults – early childhood educators – and I think a book discussion is a wonderful way to learn and grow together. A blog for people throughout my state to share thoughts/reflections presented in a new book would be a wonderful way to learn together.
I was part of team that created the state training for the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. We trained a group of trainers who then train on the materials within their own region. We have allowed the autonomy to adapt and/or enhance activities and materials and we have wanted to create a forum for sharing these materials and activiites. We want people to be able to share lessons learned, reflections, etc. So this would be a perfect platform for this group. Is it possible to attach documents?
Ruth from WI
Ruth -
I have not been able to attach documents to my Edublog. What I’ve done is copy the document into a PAGE (since pages always show near the top of the blog, and don’t get lost as blog posts proceed).
The trick is to paste it in as a Word document (assuming you’re using Word). Word adds all sorts of formatting that messes up the way the work displays in the blog. So, when you’re creating the page/post, click on Show/Hide Kitchen Sink, the last icon on the right, next to the one that looks like a Monitor screen. You’ll get a new line of icons for various tasks. One shows a clipboard with a big W, for Word, on it. Click on that and paste your work in there first. This strips off all the formatting so you can start fresh (otherwise, your text will appear in different sizes of fonts, with strange indents, utterly NOT how you intended). Don’t forget to click on Insert.
A better tool for documents might be a wiki. PB Works wikis allow you to post actual documents. Some other wikis don’t.
Fran
Fran and Gwen,
While you can’t post documents to the blog, you could use another website with the document uploaded to it and then in the links area of the blog, you could link to the documents. It’s still using 2 different things, but if you really like the idea of the students using the blog it would work.
Dailia in TN
Good idea. I have many documents posted to my school website, and it’s easy to link from the blog to a website.
I have also heard about Google docs, but since it requires email, and my students don’t all have email, I haven’t explored it.
Thanks Dailia,
Fran
Hi Fran,
I’m learning so much from reading your comments and all the input!
I want to try out some of these techniques on my blog too.
I think the difference between my blogging speed and the average kid is that the kids will just go for it and not worry about messing anything up! I’m moving forward very cautiously.
Thanks to you and Dailia and Ruth,
Gwen in NC